As Nick and Benjamin entered the house, Nick saw Finnick sitting on the small couch while playing on his phone. Watching as Finn looked up, Nick grinned to see his friend's eyes widen as his ears folded back to see the large cheetah who had entered with him. Presenting the cheetah to him, Nick said, "Finnick, I'd like you to meet Benjamin Clawhauser, one of Judy's coworkers. Benjamin, meet Finnick Desertail. He's been my friend since we were teens."
Benjamin gave a slight wave as he followed Nick further into the living room. The small fox with the large satellite-like ears was in utter shock to see the large cheetah follow his friend in and Benjamin wondered why the sand-colored fox thought is was so out of place for him to be here. "Hi, Finnick," he said, "It's nice to be officially introduced." They kept passing each other among all the other predators doing yard work, so Benjamin was glad to finally know who the little fox was.
Finnick's jaw went slack. He had seen Benjamin outside and knew Nick had invited him over to help out, but he hadn't been given the chance to ask how Nick knew the cheetah. So, hearing that Nick was introduced through Judy was shocking. Especially since most of Judy's coworkers didn't give her the time of day and simply brushed her off. But even if Judy introduced them, that didn't explain why the cop was here in Nick's house. Pointing to the large, rotund cheetah, he stammered, "I thought he left with the others!" At Nick's grin, Finnick exclaimed, "So what's he doing in here!?"
Nick laughed as Benji looked between Nick and the small fox on the couch. He was a bit confused as to why the small fox wouldn't want him in the house. He seemed nice enough outside and was quite helpful with anyone who had questions . . . so why was the fox treating him like an unwanted guest?
With another laugh, Nick said, "And why shouldn't he be in here?" At Finnick's raised eyebrow, Nick added, "Not only is Benji one of Judy's coworkers, but he's just about the only friend she had in the ZPD, so I don't see why he shouldn't be here."
Finnick folded his arms, saying, "Well, he's still a cop and you're a fox, not a rabbit. Most cops only enter a fox's home so they can ruff him up and ransack his stuff, claiming he stole what's rightfully his." This is what Finnick said, but he was really worried about the chubby cheetah finding out about Cottontail, who was not only holed-up in Nick's room but smelling everything like a fox and nothing like a rabbit. What was Nick thinking, bringing Judy's coworker into his house!? Wasn't he worried that the cheetah might figure out that Cottontail slept in his arms last night!? That they were an item!
Benjamin's ears drooped as he waved his paws out in front of him. "Oh, no, I wouldn't ever do that to a fox. I don't have anything against foxes." Pointing to Nick, and with a twinkle in his eyes, he added, "And Nick's now my most favorite-est fox in the whole wide world. I wouldn't ever do anything to hurt him."
Nick turned his head and coughed behind him as he knew why Benji decided he was now the cheetah's favorite fox—Benjamin was over the moon to see him and Judy snuggling together.
Finnick's jaw dropped and then he exclaimed, "Nick's your favorite fox!?" First Nick became Judge Princeton's favorite fox and now he was this cheetah cop's favorite fox, too!? How did Nick pull that off!?
With stars shining in his eyes, Benjamin said, "Of course! Nick is the best! I mean have you seen—" Benjamin stopped himself short as he realized what he was about to say. Although Finnick was Nick's longtime friend, had Nick told him about his and Judy's relationship yet? Would the small fox approve of a fellow fox dating a rabbit? "Um, I mean, I really admire Nick. He helped Judy solve the missing mammals' case three months ago, and he kept her alive and didn't abandon her when Bellwether and her goons were chasing them. It was with his help that Judy got the evidence needed to put Bellwether away for life." Slapping his paws to his chubby cheeks, he added, "Oh, and I think he's going to make an awesome cop. He'll be the perfect partner for Hopps."
Finn's jaw dropped again. "Wait." Pointing to the cheetah standing next to his friend, Finnick continued, "You actually want a fox on the force!? You would trust a fox to have your back?"
Benjamin nodded his head as his tail swayed behind him. "Of course. Like I said, I don't have anything against foxes. And Nick's already proven himself that he has his partner's back." With a happy hum, the cheetah added, "And the fact Nick is taking care of Judy while her leg heals shows just how dependable he is."
Finnick slapped a paw over his face, then slowly slid it down his muzzle. Pointing to the chubby cheetah again, he asked, "He knows Cottontail is here?"
Nick held his paws up. "Don't look at me like that. I didn't tell him. Chief Buffalo-butt sent him over yesterday with some papers for Judy." Nick just then realized that he and Judy had yet to look over all the paperwork Buffalo-butt had sent over and wondered about the information on the case while speculating on what he and Judy could and could not say during the upcoming conference.
Finnick's ears drooped slightly. "Did you know he was coming?" If the cheetah showed up out of the blue, then he probably saw a lot more than Nick had planned to reveal about his 'care' of the bunny he was 'nursing' back to health. The two acted like they were on their honeymoon, not a couple who just started dating!
Nick's ears turned outwards and slightly down with his tail flicking behind him as he responded, "No." Jabbing his thumb behind him at Benjamin, he added, "Which is why Benji here knows I'm dating Carrots." At Benji's squeal of happiness and Finn's face slap, Nick held up his finger and said, "No, wait, that's wrong." With a wide smile spreading across his face and a bright sparkle in his emerald eyes, he added, "We're engaged now."
Benji's squeal was even louder this time as he pressed his paws against his cheeks, even as Finnick grabbed a pillow off the couch and chucked it at Nick. "Are you crazy, Nick! You haven't even dated her a full week yet!"
Easily catching and holding the pillow, Nick flicked his ear. "What else can I do, Finn? I've already imprinted on her." With a shrug, he added, "She's it for me, nothing is going to change that."
Finnick's small jaw dropped, showing off his tiny, needle-like teeth. "You've already imprinted!? I mean—fully imprinted!?" At Nick's nod, Finn exclaimed, "But you've only known her 3 months!"
Pointing to his diminutive friend, Nick pointed out, "Yes, but it was an intense, crazy, stare-death-in-the-face three months." Jabbing one of his clawed fingers into his open palm, Nick added, "Come on, you know I had already started imprinting on her before the press conference."
"Ya," Finn replied back, "but it should still be a couple of months more before the imprinting is fully realized!"
Benjamin stood with his paws pressed up against his cheeks, hardly breathing as he listened to the two foxes discuss Nick's whirlwind romance with the ZPD's first rabbit officer. He was about ready to pop from holding in another squeal, but he wanted to see where this conversation was going. Since Finnick had known Nick so long, he would have insights into the red fox which Benjamin was highly curious about. It was obvious that Nick and Judy were crazy about each other, but was it a feeling that would last? The thought of the two smaller mammals breaking up just about devastated him. Though hearing they were engaged, and that Nick had fully imprinted on Judy, put his fears to rest.
He had some red fox friends growing up and Benji had seen how devoted their parents were to each other. He also got to learn a bit about red fox culture, so he knew what Nick meant when he said he had already imprinted on Judy. And to hear how fast the two were moving was shocking. Benjamin knew that fox courtship was slow since the imprinting process usually took a long time to fully form. But Nick and Judy were already engaged! And it had only been 3 months! Benjamin had to swallow another squeal of happiness.
Finnick sat stunned. He knew Nick had already started imprinting on Judy, and that it was happening faster than it should, but for Nick to have already fully imprinted on Judy—Finnick just couldn't get his head wrapped around the idea. Everything was happening way too fast for his red friend and his bunny mate. But it did explain a lot of Nick's bizarre and unrestrained behavior.
In the end, Finnick could only shake his head. "Engaged." Shaking his head again as he raked his short, sharp claws through his head fur, he looked at Nick again and asked, "So when did this happen? I thought you were waiting to buy the engagement ring?"
Nick tugged on his ear, saying, "We were going to wait . . ." Nick's tail swished behind him. "But . . . I picked up the marriage papers yesterday and Fluff decided she wanted to be engaged early." Waving his paws, he added, "I have to agree. To say we're merely girlfriend and boyfriend," he flicked one paw out and then the other, "has such a transitory feel to it, while saying we're engaged—it has a much more permanent ring to it." Folding his arms, he said smugly, "I really like how the word feels on my tongue."
Finn snickered. "You like the feel of the word on your tongue, or you like the feel of Cottontail on your tongue?" He couldn't forget how Cottontail had gone on about her raging bunny hormones that had her melting into an over-sensitized puddle of goop whenever Nick nipped, bit, or licked her neck, ears, and stomach. And since Nick never did anything halfway, Finnick knew their kisses were just as intense and passionate—especially if they were already engaged!
Nick gave a slight wave of his paw as a wide grin spread across his muzzle. "Why can't it be both?" With a swish of his tail, he then said, "And I did give her a ring." With a humorous grin as he put a paw over his heart, Nick added with a flourish of his other paw, "An expensive, rare, green diamond. I'm sure Judy will be happy to show it to you."
Benjamin tilted his head in confusion. What rare green diamond? Finnick, on the other paw, simply shook his head, once again thinking how nutsy his friend had become since hooking up with his bunny girlfriend, fiancé, or whatever. Hismate. It was obvious to anyone who saw them—even a blind drunk would be able to tell—that the both of them were completely nuts. A couple of twitter-pated nuts, Finn thought with an annoyed flick of his short, bushy tail.
Setting the question of the ring aside—he'd get the details from Judy later—Benjamin's mind immediately jumped back to Nick and Judy's engagement. He couldn't keep his squeal in any longer, and after causing both foxes to hunch over and protect their sensitive hearing from his agonizingly high-pitched squeal, the cheetah grabbed one of Nick's paws and said, "Oh, you have to let me come to the wedding!" Shuffling back and forth on his feet in excitement, he squeezed Nick's paw again, saying, "I'll even supply the wedding cake! Just tell me when and where and I'm there!"
Since Nick had already bought him one huge, decadent icy cake, Benjamin figured the least he could do was supply the wedding cake. And this way he could be sure there would be enough to go around—and for him to have seconds or thirds. Releasing Nick's paw, Benjamin pressed his own paws to his cheeks as he pictured Nick and Judy's wedding.
Nick flicked his ear in surprise, though he shouldn't be surprised by the cheetah's generous offer. Benji's complete acceptance and support of their pred-prey relationship was a breath of fresh air, but it still needed getting used to. "Okay, we'd love to have you at the wedding. The place will be here." Nodding towards the backyard, he explained, "There's a gazebo back behind the garage—we'll hold the wedding there." Rubbing his chin in thought, Nick then said, "As to the date and time. . ." He gave a shrug. "If Carrots has anything to say about it, then it'll be sometime next week. Can't say the exact day yet, but it'll probably be in the evening."
Benjamin's tail swished happily behind him as he asked, "Do you have someone to marry you yet? If not, I know someone who might do it."
With a wave of his paw, Nick gave a smug grin as he answered, "Judge Princeton is marrying us." At Benjamin's slack jaw at learning the stately elk was marrying them, Nick added, "We'll be having dinner with him and his wife tomorrow night so he can meet Judy. We'll better finalize our plans then." Benji squealed softly again, but Nick held up a finger to forestall the cheetah's next comment. "Before we continue with this exciting conversation, don't you think I should bring the future bride down? I'm sure Judy would love to discuss the wedding with you."
Grabbing Nick's shoulder, Benjamin said, "Wait!? She's here in the house?" Looking around as he sniffed the air, he added, "I can't smell her."
Nick's ears flicked back and irritation crossed his face as he said, "Don't remind me. It really messes with my instincts that I can't smell her in the house right now."
Studying his larger friend, Finnick spoke up to answer the cheetah's question. He told the large feline about the disgruntled predators who wished to harm Cottontail (his large ears easily picked up on all the angry gossip), and how there were several groups who saw Judy as the source of all their suffering. Finnick then explained the need to keep the general predator population in the dark about the rabbit cop being here, and hence the lack of her scent in the house right now.
Benjamin was appalled to hear of these groups who blamed Judy for their sufferings instead of the mad ewe responsible. But he could definitely see the wisdom of keeping Judy hidden from the general population. He even considered bringing it up with Bogo about minimizing the number of mammals at the precinct who knew where Judy was staying. There were several officers on the force whose extended families were now jobless and homeless, with several officers having quit the force and moved to another city to escape the persecution their families were suffering from.
Benjamin was already grateful that he and his family had mostly stayed afloat during the crisis and no one had lost their homes or jobs, but hearing Finnick's account (with a few comments from Nick), the cheetah realized just how lucky he and his family were. Although he helped his family out at their soup and sandwich lines, with them being a cop family, they didn't get a lot of really angry predators showing up, at least he hadn't heard any of these threats. It also didn't help that he usually spent most of his day stuck down in records. If the others brought in complaints and rumors of predators wanting to end Judy's life, he wasn't up at the desk to hear about it.
He just hoped that after Judy's press conference on Wednesday, when the city finally figured out that Judy and Nick were the ones who caught Bellwether, that some of these predators could forgive Judy her mistake, or at least place the blame at the one responsible—the crazy ewe and her many accomplices.
After explaining about the angry predators, Nick suggested Benji take a seat and get comfortable while he brought Judy down (finding out Judy was hiding in his room brought another light squeal from the excited cheetah).
Benjamin watched Nick head up the stairs, then turned to Finnick. Thinking more on how fast Nick and Judy's romance was (and knowing it wasn't normal for a fox—even Nick's best friend was shocked), the cheetah asked the smaller fox, "Do you think Nick's quick imprinting on Judy has anything to do with him being a fox and her being a rabbit?"
Finnick turned to him and flicked his ear in question. "What do you mean?"
"Well, foxes used to eat rabbits—" At Finnick's sour expression at the reminder, Benjamin pointed to him and explained, "I'm not saying Nick wants to taste her blood or anything, but having Judy penned beneath him, hearing her groans, even if they're in pleasure, and then tasting her, feeling her fur sliding through his claws—it has to arouse his ancient instincts at having caught his prey."
Finnick sat on the couch in silence as he mulled over the idea. Although he knew that being with the energetic, impatient bunny didn't stir up any desire in Nick to hurt or eat the rabbit (and this time he actually meant the real eating, not rutting her), Finn figured the cheetah was probably right. It was obvious Nick got a thrill from being with the pawsy rabbit. And the same could be said about Cottontail. Turning back to the cheetah, Finn said, "You're probably right. And it's the same for Cottontail. Having Nick dominate her as a large predator who once hunted her ancestors probably excites her instincts, telling her she's playing with fire." Leaning forward, he pointed to the chubby cheetah and said, "I swear that rabbit is an adrenaline junky!"
At Benjamin's questioning look, Finn launched into a retelling of all the danger she dragged his friend into during both the missing mammals' case and again when they caught Bellwether, complete with her crazy stunt of hijacking a train and beating up the angry, muscle-bound rams who were guarding it. Then he launched into all the hungry, predatory looks Nick leveled at Judy, even before they were dating! Telling Benji those two needed a chaperone whenever they went out in public, he then launched into a recounting of how they acted at the diner just a few days earlier, and the over-the-top flirting they were doing. Benjamin's eyes were wide as he ate up the juicy gossip.
-/-/-
As Nick headed up the stairs, he paused near the top when he heard Benji ask Finnick about his fast imprinting on Judy. Although the thought had crossed his mind the day before when he was talking to Skye, he didn't like the implications that his instincts were driving him to take his prey (Judy) down, but he couldn't deny how much he liked having his honeybun pinned beneath him, that her moans and gasps were music to his ears and encouraged him to see what other sounds she would make under his predatory touch.
Raising his paw, Nick flexed his fingers while taking notice of his claws. Feeling Judy's fur sliding between his fingers and her skin sliding under his claws felt incredible and fascinating at the same time. It was easy to forget Judy was a rabbit when her scent was clouding his mind, but the fact remained—she was a rabbit and he was a fox. And knowing that Judy still trusted him not to hurt her, that she not only allowed him to touch her, but that she encouraged him to . . . to not only touch her, but to taste her! That his natural weapons and everything predatory about him excited and satisfied her . . . It stroked his predatory ego in ways he could never have imagined before meeting the energetic, intoxicating ball of fluff who he would soon claim as his wife and mate.
And since pinning her to the bed Thursday afternoon—and seeing, feeling, and tasting so much of her hot body—his instincts were no longer telling him to take it slow. If this morning was anything to go by, his instincts were now telling him he was taking too much time.
Swiping a paw down his face, Nick took a deep breath. He never thought that falling for a rabbit, prey, would mess with his instincts, but he couldn't complain. If her being a rabbit was messing with his instincts in such a way—making her seem so much more appealing while driving him wild with the scent, taste, and feel of her—there's no way he'd ever complain about being with Judy.
While thinking of his stunning, delectable fiancé who was waiting for him in his room, Nick jumped up the last few stairs and hurried to his room. Opening the door, Nick slipped inside.
-/-/-
Judy sat against the headboard of Nick's bed, playing on her phone. She'd had an enjoyable morning. After talking to Janelle and Janette, and catching them up on her date last night, she informed them of her engagement to the handsome fox who held her heart in his talented paws. Janette and Janelle were excited for her and couldn't wait to arrive tomorrow morning to meet the fox in the flesh. They also caught Judy up on some of the goings on in the burrow.
Janette's wedding plans were coming together nicely, along with 10 of their cousins and several of their friends who were all getting married the same week. Janette was getting married in a joint ceremony with her friends and one of their cousins, which made planning the wedding easier. After deciding on the cake, flower arrangements, invitation cards, and everything else that needed decided on, they then divided up the work so that each of them only had to focus on a few things instead of everything.
Judy was happy for her sister and hoped she and Nick could make it down for the wedding. As Janette's wedding was the second Friday in August, Judy should be back at work, so she wasn't sure she would be able to make it. But since the wedding was in the evening, if she took off work a little early and they rode the train down (the train was faster than driving and would shave about an hour and a half off their trip), then Judy thought they might just make it. It would be tight, but they should be able to arrive just in time for the ceremony. And then they could enjoy the weekend with her family. At least, they could enjoy the weekend if her family let them.
Biting her thumb nail, she worried over her family's reaction to learning that her and Nick were not only a couple, but also engaged. She was pretty sure the majority of her family would be fine with them being a couple. Even if they didn't necessarily approve of their relationship, she was sure they'd at least keep their opinions to themselves and let them be. But then there was a part, her dad included, who wouldn't approve, nor will they keep their opinions to themselves. Luckily, her mom was on their side, so that should help a lot. Not many mammals wanted to cross Bonnie Hopps, as she had quite the temper and didn't back down when you crossed her line. Judy got her backbone and stubbornness from her mom, after all.
After getting off the phone with her sisters, Judy began thinking of her own wedding. Although she wasn't expecting anything fancy or elaborate, she did still want it to be nice. And what was she going to do about a wedding dress? She was sure Nick knew a good cake shop and a place where they could get some simple decorations. But the dress was the biggest problem. They didn't come cheap and any alterations that might need to be made would take some time. Of course, she had six new dresses that were definitely high quality, but of the two she'd already seen, they didn't exactly scream 'wedding' dress. Beautiful and exquisite, yes, but not a wedding dress. But she hadn't seen the last 4 dresses, so maybe one of them could be used for the wedding.
She was tempted to go snooping in the closet and find out what the other dresses looked like, but she knew Nick wanted to surprise her. As much as she hated surprises, she knew these ones would be good ones. And the look on her fox's face when he brought them out and presented them to her would be well worth the wait. In order to distract her itchy fingers, Judy decided to call her mom and get that conversation out of the way.
Taking a deep breath, she looked down at her phone again and crossed her fingers, then hit the call button. A deep sigh of relief escaped her small muzzle when she saw that it was her mom—and only her mom—who answered the phone. With a bright smile, she said, "Hi, Mom."
Bonnie greeted her daughter with a bright smile of her own as she turned around and began walking down the hallway to her personal study (she wanted privacy so she could listen to her little bun-bun tell her all about her dates). While walking, she asked Judy who she was planning to invite for the trip tomorrow as they had yet to hear any of the names besides Janette, Janelle, and Justin. There were still three slots open and Judy needed to hurry up and decide on who was coming.
Judy slapped a paw over her face as this task had completely slipped her mind with everything that had been going on. After a moment of thought, she picked Amy, Alexia, and Chester for the last three slots. They all had predator friends and never showed an aversion for foxes, so Judy knew they would be a safe bet to invite over. They all had a strong personality, too, and would advocate her fox's acceptance back at the burrow.
Bonnie agreed as she made her way down to the study, but then pointed out she might not get Amy to come. She was currently holed up at the shop where she worked while fixing up a car to enter into the upcoming Classic Car Show. Judy nodded and agreed to call Amy after getting off the phone with her. Bonnie grinned to see Judy making an effort to reconnect with her siblings. She had hardly paid any attention to what was happening with her siblings while her depression had been plaguing her, and before that she was obsessed with entering the ZPA and becoming a real cop.
Stepping into the study, Bonnie closed the door, then hurried over to her favorite rocking chair and sat down. With a bright, expectant smile, Bonnie immediately asked about her daughter's two dates. With a heart-warming smile, Judy launched into the telling of her two exciting nights with Nick. Bonnie was blown away by how much thought and effort the sly todd had put into making Judy's first two dates with him unforgettable. It was obvious he cared deeply for the bunny he'd fallen for and Bonnie couldn't be any happier to see how much love and affection Nick had for Judy. It had been a long, hard road for Judy as the 'odd bunny out', but her bun-bun had finally found someone to love and who loved her.
Watching her daughter glow with happiness, Bonnie finally asked, "So, have you discussed marriage with Nick yet?"
Judy had been taking a sip of her water to wet her throat as her mom asked the question, and she ended up spraying it over the bed. Covering her mouth with her paw, she coughed for a moment, then asked, "Did I what!?"
"Oh, come on, bun-bun. I already found your fox plushy you've been sleeping with, and Nick already admitted to having an intense make-out session with you, not to mention the two amazing dates you two have been on." With a knowing look and a raised eyebrow, Bonnie added, "You can't tell me you haven't already considered marrying him."
Judy grabbed one of her ears and looked at a picture of Nick standing next to two foxes and a badger. She assumed they were his mom, sister, and Honey. Taking a deep breath, and refusing to look at her mom, Judy said, "Well, um," she ran her paw down her ear as she wasn't sure how her mom would take their engagement. Although Bonnie supported them dating, she was sure her mom would think they were moving too fast. "I . . . I did discuss it with Nick . . . the other day."
Bonnie's ears perked forward in interest. "Oh?" With a twitch of her nose, she asked, "And what did he say?" Nick had already told her during his Thursday afternoon call that he saw Judy as a potential mate, so she was sure the conversation had a positive outcome.
Judy's nose started twitching while thinking of the night Nick asked her to date him. Those kisses of his were incredible, as was the feeling of his paws and claws sliding through her fur. As a blush spread from her nose up to the tips of her ears, Judy murmured, "Well, Nick did mention a cabin he owns in the mountains that he wants to take me for our honeymoon."
Bonnie watched Judy's blush travel up her face and wondered if they hadn't had more than one make-out session. But at hearing Judy's reply, she said, "Oh? You already have your honeymoon planned? What about the wedding itself?"
Judy's nose twitched again and she ran her paw down her ear again. "Um, we're actually planning two weddings."
Bonnie's brows climbed her forehead and her eyes grew big. "Two weddings!? Why would you want to hold two weddings!?"
Looking at her mom, Judy took a deep breath. She wasn't planning on having this conversation with her mom quite yet, but her mom was too perceptive. "Mom, neither of us want to wait to have a big, drawn out bunny wedding." Seeing her mom start to scowl, Judy held a paw up and said, "We're planning on having the bunny wedding after Nick graduates the academy. He's going to have a lot of prejudice leveled at him for being a fox trying to become a cop, so we don't want to announce our relationship until after he graduates and he earns his badge."
Pausing as she saw her words had somewhat mollified her mom, Judy then continued, "But at the same time, we want to be married before he enters the academy. So, we plan on having a fox wedding before then." Taking a deep breath while trying to collect her thoughts, Judy felt glad her mom was holding her tongue until she finished talking. "Fox weddings are very small and private, so there's not a lot to plan, nor will there be a lot of fanfare. With a fox wedding, we'll be flying under the media radar, unlike a large bunny wedding where everyone in town knows about it as soon as the couple is engaged."
Bonnie raised an eyebrow and asked, "And are you? Engaged already?"
Judy opened and shut her mouth several times as she tried to get a word out, but admitting they were already engaged after just a few days of dating had her tongue-tied. How would her mother react?
"Judy," Bonnie said in a no-nonsense tone. "Are you engaged to Nick?"
Judy's ears drooped and she started petting one of them while staring across the room. In a calm (she hoped) voice, Judy replied, "Well, Nick asked me to marry him yesterday afternoon and I said . . . yes."
A tick went off at Bonnie's temple, even as she said, "Isn't this fox moving a bit too fast?" Bonnie was trying to remain calm, but it was hard when she thought about how fast Nick was moving on her daughter. From her phone conversations with him, Bonnie didn't think he was the type. Had she been fooled by the fox? "Is he pressuring you, honey, is that why you said yes so readily?"
"What!?" Judy exclaimed as her gaze jumped back to her phone, even as her ears sprang up. "Mom, Nick is not pressuring me. If anything, I'm pressuring him!" She pointed to herself. "Mom, red foxes have long courtships and short engagements. Nick wouldn't be moving this fast if I wasn't asking him to, and even then, it's not a decision he takes lightly." Rubbing her forehead, Judy dropped her paw and looked back at her mom. "We had talked about taking things slow, but everything about Nick just draws me in. I just . . ." Judy glanced around the room while trying to put her thoughts into words. Looking back at her mom, she explained, "Mom, I've waited 25 years to find Nick and I don't want to waste any more time."
"But, Judy, honey, he's a predator. Don't you think taking some time to truly get to know him would be best?"
Judy opened her mouth, then shut it again. Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself that her mom was just looking out for her and wasn't trying to tell her how to live her life. "Mom." Taking another deep breath, she started again. "Mom, I love Nick. And yes, we haven't spent a lot of time together when you look strictly at the hours and days we've been together, but when you look at the quality of the time we've spent together—" Judy waved a paw through the air. "We've been through so much, Mom, and we've done a lot of talking while I've been laid up with my leg injury."
Bonnie raised an eyebrow again and said, "Talking or making out?"
Judy's ears turned bright red and she looked everywhere but at her mother. Grabbing one of her burning ears, she pulled on it, even as her foot started thumbing the air as she had her legs stretched out on the bed. "Well," she started, "we've had some emotional conversations that led to some . . . hugs and kisses."
Bonnie's nosed twitched. "Really? Just hugs and kisses?" With a wave of her paw, she continued, saying, "Because the way Nick said it, you like it when he runs his teeth and claws over you."
Judy's bright red nose was twitching incessantly now, and she was struggling to look at her mom. Tugging on her ear again, she murmured, "Well, Nick is a very talented todd, and he's good at figuring out what I want—what I like—and then giving it to me."
"Oh, bun-bun," Bonnie murmured with a shake of her head. "I knew you would be relentless in your pursuit of Nick if you decided you wanted him, but still, bun-bun, to be engaged so soon is fast even for a rabbit."
Judy ran her paw through her head fur. "I know, Mom—believe me, I know." Looking at her mom, she said, "But that doesn't matter when I'm with Nick. I feel like I've known him my whole life and there's nothing I want more than to be close to him, to be able to spend the rest of my life with him." Swiping her paw through the air, Judy continued, saying, "And my instincts that should be warning me away from such a large, dominant predator—yeah, they're telling me to get closer to him." Taking a deep breath while trying to calm down, she said, "Mom, Nick excites me on every level. Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally, too."
With her nose twitching, Judy ran her paw back through her headfur while glancing around the room as she searched for the best way to describe what she was feeling. Looking back at her mom who was patiently waiting for her to finish explaining herself, Judy said, "Mom, for the first time in my life I found someone I want to start a family with. And I know that the chances of Nick and I having our own kits is probably zero, but that doesn't stop me from wanting—from wanting to . . . to breed with him."
Bonnie's eyes widened at what her daughter was saying. For rabbits, the huge drive they had to reproduce was an instinctive need that was a holdover from the days when large numbers of their kits died from disease or were eaten by hungry predators. This was also the reason why they dated around a lot. They were looking for the right rabbit to be the father or the mother of their kits, someone with strong genes to pass on to their offspring in order to give them a stronger chance at survival. And once they found that special someone, the drive to start a family was strong, and in some cases, it was quite intense, like it was for her and Stu.
Bonnie knew this was the reason she had to settle. Although she and Stu had planned on starting their family at a slow pace as she attended college (Stu had taken over the farm after his father had a stroke), once they were married and their first litter had arrived, well, Bonnie just couldn't get over the feeling of wanting to have Stu's kits. Popping out litter after litter wasn't about simply rolling around in bed for some fun kicks. It was fulfilling that instinctive need to reproduce, to make sure their species didn't die out. And even though, logically, she knew that in this day and age they didn't need to produce hundreds of kits to survive (most rabbits did have much fewer kits than she and Stu had) the instincts to mate, to breed, were still there and were hard to ignore.
So, for Judy to say that her inability to keep her paws off Nick was due to her drive to breed with him, well, Bonnie understood that feeling all too well. And explained why Judy was rushing to marry the handsome—and talented—todd. Since Judy had already instinctively chosen Nick as the father of her kits, as improbable as it was for them to have kits, coupled with the fact they were already living together—Bonnie could see why Judy was pushing Nick to marry her. The fact Nick was carrying her around the house and helping her dress while Judy's leg healed compounded the need for a quick marriage.
Usually, a couple intending marriage remained miles apart while they planned the marriage (each remained living with their respective families). They had to make plans to meet, with much of that time they spent together also in the company of friends or family. An engaged couple didn't usually spend excessive amounts of time alone leading up to the wedding. Yes, they had their date nights and time spent talking and planning for the future, but it was nothing compared to the amount of time Judy and Nick were spending together and in such close proximity.
Perhaps she should have listened to Stu when they first heard Judy was living with Nick. But her reasons then were valid and still are. There really wasn't any place for Judy to stay in Zootopia other than with Nick. And her bun-bun was so happy being with Nick, that Bonnie really didn't have the heart to tell her no—not after the depression Judy had just recovered from.
With a deep breath, Bonnie sighed as her ears drooped down her back. "If that's what you feel towards Nick, bun-bun, I won't argue with you. I know how strong the desire to breed is." With a small chuckle, Bonnie tilted her head and said, "You probably got your drive from me." With another chuckle, she added, "It looks like you inherited more from me than just your amethyst eyes and stubbornness."
Judy returned her mom's smile with a small one of her own. "Yeah, it looks that way, doesn't it?"
With another smile, Bonnie nodded, but then got serious again. "Now are you absolutely sure about this? That Nick is to be the father of your kits?" Bonnie knew any kits Judy had with Nick would be through adoption, but Bonnie was fine with that. There were many kits in foster care who needed a good home, and with Judy's police career, it might even be better for her bun-bun.
"Trust me, Mom, there is no one else for me. Nick does for me what no one else has or can. Even when he's irritating me, I still can't leave him alone." With a bright smile, she added, "And when we're together . . ." Judy took a deep breath as she remembered all the times Nick held her. "When Nick is holding me . . . it just feels right, Mom. To reach out and touch him feels so natural. And when I'm snuggled in his arms, I feel like . . . like I'm home." With a tender smile while thinking of being in Nick's embrace, she repeated, "I'm home, Mom."
Bonnie sighed. She had known Stu was the one for her because, she too, felt like she had come home when Stu held her. He was her safe haven, her oasis from the storms and trials of life. So, if this is how Judy felt about Nick, if he was her safe haven, then there was only one thing left for Bonnie to do. "Okay, honey, if Nick is home to you then I will support you." Lifting a paw to forestall Judy's gushing gratitude, Bonnie added, "That's not to say I completely understand it. He is a predator after all." With a heavy sigh, she said, "But if he's the one you've chosen then I'll stand by you."
Judy squealed from the other side of the phone, even as Bonnie ran a paw over her head. With a brilliant smile, Judy said, "Do you want to see the ring?"
Bonnie raised a brow as she wasn't expecting Nick to have a ring, not with how fast everything was moving. "He got you a ring . . . so quickly?"
Judy giggled. "Well, it's not the official ring. Nick wants to have one specially made, but he's not sure how quickly he can get it done. Most jewelry shops here in the city charge foxes a fortune to have anything custom made, and then they give them cheap knock-offs when it's all said and done." Judy's ears were drooping while thinking of how bad foxes had it here in the city, then perked up as she looked over at her 'rare' green diamond ring that Nick had made for her. With a smile, she grabbed it off her nightstand and slipped it on her finger.
"Nick still wanted me to have a ring when he proposed to me, so," Judy flourished her finger so her mom could see the ring, "he gave me this rare green diamond."
"A rare green diamond?" Bonnie asked with another raised eyebrow as she looked at the ring on her daughter's finger. After a moment, she said, "Hold your finger still so I can get a good look at it." Judy stopped moving her finger and Bonnie got to see the interesting ring with a large heart on it. "What is that made from?" she asked as it looked to be made of some kind of paper.
Judy giggled. "Nick's a real goof. He made this ring out of a dollar bill." With another giggle, she added, "Real expensive, right?" With a soft hum of appreciation, Judy said, "Well, watching him make it was worth a fortune all by itself. It was really neat to see and showed me again just how nimble and talented his fingers are."
Bonnie looked at the little green colored heart-shaped ring and had to admit that it did look interesting, especially knowing Nick had made it from a dollar bill. "And you say this is just a temporary ring?"
Judy nodded (not that her mom could see it as the phone was still pointed at her finger), then said, "Yeah. Nick's going to buy me something special just as soon as he can have it made, then he'll put a real engagement ring on my finger."
Bonnie nodded as she once again felt impressed by the sly todd who had stolen her daughter's heart. Even with Judy rushing for them to get married, Nick still tried to make the experience a special one for her little bun-bun. Smiling at her daughter (Judy had turned the phone back around), Bonnie asked, "And what about the wedding bands?"
Judy shrugged. "We'll probably wait until the bunny wedding in the spring to exchange them." Tilting her head as she gazed at her 'diamond' ring, Judy added, "For now, I'll be happy just having the engagement ring. I'll still have a physical representation of our love until Nick graduates and then we can proclaim to the world that we're in a serious relationship—that a bunny and fox are married."
Bonnie nodded again as she ran a paw down her ear. Even though their relationship was moving faster than she would like, it was obvious to Bonnie that the two lovebirds had, indeed, done a lot of talking and planning—not just making out.
With a heavy sigh, Bonnie had to accept that Judy knew what she was doing and no matter how strange her choices were, she was going to follow her heart like she always did. Nothing she or Stu could say would change their daughter's mind. With a slight frown, Bonnie said, "I support you, honey, but how in the world are we going to tell your father?" Pointing to Judy, she added, "You know he's going to have a conniption fit when he finds out about you and Nick."
As happy as she was that her mother would support her and Nick's marriage, Judy knew the real battle was still to come. "I know, Mom, I'm worried about Dad, too." With a smile winding its way onto her face, she continued, "We're hoping Nick can make a good impression on Dad tomorrow when you guys come down. If Dad can see how happy I am with Nick, and how caring he is with me, then maybe we can work up to telling him."
Bonnie shook her head with a sigh. "That's a big maybe, bun-bun. You know your dad is just worried about you, but he can't imagine how any prey would want to snuggle with a predator. And Nick's not just any predator—he's a fox. After what happened between you and Gideon, your dad can't get past Nick's sharp claws. He's sure you're going to get hurt, even if Nick isn't purposely trying to hurt you."
Judy rolled her eyes. "Mom, Nick is extremely gentle with his claws and teeth and knows he needs to go slow with me due to our size difference." Looking off towards the wall while thinking of Thursday afternoon when she literally jumped Nick, a slightly lustful smile touched Judy's lips as she added, "In my opinion, Nick could go a little faster, but I know he's scared of hurting me if he rushes things." Glancing back at her mom, Judy's ears immediately turned candy-apple red and dropped down against the pillows she sat against. She wasn't supposed to tell her mom that. Unconsciously holding her breath, Judy now knew how Nick felt when he was talking to her mom the other day when preparing for their first date.
"Oh, really? You think he should move faster?" Bonnie was giving Judy a hard stare as she had to re-evaluate Nick's story from Thursday afternoon, the one about their 'intense' make-out session. Hearing Judy talking, Bonnie was sure there was much more to it than Nick let on.
Judy's smile deserted her as her eyes widened. Sucking in a breath, she blinked, then grabbed one of her ears and yanked down on it. Staring at the wall again, she murmured, "Well, the intense make-out session Nick told you about wouldn't have ended there if Janette hadn't called and interrupted us." Glancing briefly at her mom, she added, "Once Nick realized the time, he left me on the bed and took off running—literally." Bonnie raised her brow in question and Judy elaborated. "I was upset at first—I wasn't expecting Nick to leave me high and dry." With a bright smile, she added, "But he more than made up for it when we had our first date."
Bonnie gave a slight shake of her head and a heavy sigh at her daughter's words. "Well, I can definitely see why you want to marry Nick so quickly."
Judy nodded. "I spent some time yesterday morning working in Nick's weight room, and then I took some time to really internalize everything that had happened this week. Not just about what was happening between me and Nick, but also the whole Bellwether mess. I hadn't been able to put everything into perspective before that, so I think that was part of the problem with me wanting to jump Nick whenever he got close to me." With a shake of her head, she added, "At any rate, it hasn't gotten that bad again, and it's a little easier to hold back since I've had more time to myself."
Bonnie sighed as her nose twitched. She and Stu had worried for years that their little bun-bun would never find anyone who appealed to her on an emotional and physical level, but now that she found someone, it was obvious that Judy was making up for all that lost time. Engaged! Her little bun-but was already engaged! And if her instincts were already demanding they breed, then it would only be a matter days before Judy dragged Nick to the altar. Bonnie will be quite shocked if she didn't have a fox for a son-in-law by this time next week.
With another heavy sigh, Bonnie realized she had a lot of thinking to do. She had somewhat come to terms with the idea of Judy dating Nick, a predator and a fox. And Bonnie was certainly expecting a call eventually to say they were engaged, but not this soon. Not today. Focusing on her soon-to-be-married daughter, Bonnie gave Judy a nod and said, "Well, I better let you go, there's some things I still need to do this morning. About tomorrow, we'll be arriving in the morning on the 10 o'clock train and we'll return on the 2:00 train. Have Nick call me when you see him and we'll discuss tomorrow's menu, okay."
Smiling, Judy replied, "Okay, I'll let him know. And thanks again for supporting us."
With a nod, Bonnie smiled and said, "Well, it's the least I can do. Heaven knows I wasn't supportive enough in your dream to be a cop, so I don't want to get in the way if Nick makes you happy."
"He does, Mom, don't ever doubt that." Judy waved goodbye to her mom, but then sat up a little straighter. "Oh, wait," she said, "Nick invited his Mom down this evening so I could meet her. She'll be staying the night, so you can meet her in the morning when you arrive. Her name is Vivian Wilde."
Bonnie was surprised but pleased she would be able to meet Nick's mom. If he was already introducing Judy to his own parents, then that said the todd really was serious about marrying her little bun-bun. "I look forward to meeting her." With a twitch of her nose, she asked, "Where is she going to sleep? I thought Nick's house was only a two-bedroom."
Judy immediately opened her mouth to say Vivian could sleep in her room, but then swallowed the words. She really didn't want her mom knowing they were already sharing a bed—even if nothing had happened last night. "Um, well, Nick has an apartment above the garage, so I guess she'll be staying there tonight."
"Oh?" Bonnie murmured. "Well, that's good to know." With a smile, she met her daughter's amethyst gaze that was a mirror of her own, then said, "You take care now, bun-bun, and we'll see you tomorrow morning."
"Okay, Mom. I love you." With a wave, Judy added, "Bye, Mom."
"Bye, Sweety."
After the line went dead, Judy collapsed against the pillows and stared up at the ceiling. She felt like she had just been put through a meat grinder. Why did her mom have to be so perceptive? She now knew why Nick had blabbed about them rolling around in her bed the other day. It was hard not to talk when her mom was giving her that 'look' that said she already knew everything so Judy might as well come clean.
With a heavy sigh, Judy ran her paws over her face and then rubbed her forehead while trying to work out the tension that had built up while she talked to her mom. Taking a deep breath, she dropped her paws and said, "Well, at least Mom is still supporting us." Silence answered her comment and Judy continued, saying, "I wasn't expecting Mom to be so accepting, but I'm really glad that she is. I don't think I could handle her and dad both wanting me to break my engagement off with Nick." With a slight frown, she whispered under her breath, "Not that I would have even if they insisted."
After setting thoughts of her parents aside, her mind jumped back to the idea that she was wanting to breed with Nick. She'd been wracking her brain for days now trying to come up with a word to describe her need to . . . to climb in Nick's lap all the time and demand he eat her. It wasn't until she was talking to her Mom that her mind finally supplied her with the right word. But breeding . . . with a fox!? Her instincts shouldn't be telling her to jump him but run from him. He was her natural predator, after all, and yes, in this day and age she knew he'd never eat her—predators didn't do that anymore—at least not unless someone was drugging them out of their mind.
Shaking her head, Judy brought her mind back to the issue at paw. Nibbling on her thumb claw, she considered her desire to be eaten by Nick. The idea of mating with him was extremely appealing. Nick was strong, fast, flexible, and highly intelligent with a lot of street and book smarts. And that wasn't mentioning anything about how gentle and supportive he was when they were alone. Remembering how talented he was with his teeth and claws had her body tingling again. Nick knew just the right amount of pressure to use to send her to the moon and back. And then there was his tongue . . . With a groan, Judy figured his talented tongue could be registered as a lethal weapon. And this was just remembering the things he had already done to her, and nothing about the other predatory talents he had yet to unleash upon her all too willing body.
But breeding? She shouldn't be thinking of breeding with Nick until she was in heat—and that was weeks away! So why now? She stewed on this thought for a while but couldn't come up with an answer. Wanting to mate with him made sense as he was an incredible todd with a criminal touch, but breeding? Yes, she wanted to have a family with Nick eventually, but now? When their relationship was just starting out? Most rabbits didn't start thinking of breeding (as opposed to simply mating) until after the wedding and honeymoon as most couples planned out their litters (her mom being an exception).
There was also something about the permanence of marriage and the intensity of the honeymoon that woke up a bunny's breeding instincts which usually caused the doe's next heat to come about a week early. But she and Nick weren't married yet, they weren't rutting their brains out, and her next heat was weeks away—so why were her instincts demanding she breed with Nick now when they had just started dating!?
As she couldn't come up with any reasonable answer as to why her instincts were driving her to not just mate, but breed with Nick, Judy decided she needed something else to think about. Her body was starting to respond to the memory of Nick's criminal touch and hungry kisses, and that's not what she needed right now.
Picking her phone back up, she brought up Amy's contact information and pushed the call button. Waiting impatiently for her oldest sister to answer, Judy's foot started thumping the air as she couldn't wait to tell Amy about the Jeep Rallies and to invite her to come. Participating in one of the Zootopia Jeep Rallies had been a long-held dream of Amy's growing up and Judy now had the key for her to unlock that dream and make it a reality. She not only had the opportunity to watch a rally, but to be a team member in the rallies.
As her sister picked up, Judy excitedly greeted her. "Hey Amy! Guess what!?"
WingedKatt here. I hope you enjoyed the epiphany our favorite duo has had. Next chapter, we'll see the conversation between Amy and Judy with some surprising information being shared.
Ch. 73: Dreams Do Come True, will post in 2 weeks. Have a great weekend and if you have any thoughts or comments, let me know.
